Thoughts and information on contemporary American Indian issues, concerns, and news. While primarily focused on Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, national issues and news are also included. Comments are the personal opinions of the blogster and might or might not coincide with the opinions of other American Indians, Tribes, or Organizations. The blogster is an enrolled member of the federally recognized Shawnee Tribe. Comments or questions may be e-mailed to: aihsc@gonmail.com

Welcome

This is a continuation of my comments that were originally posted on a different blog site provided by dakotabogs.com under the same heading of “On The Wings of Eagles” . That blog provider unexplainably, and without prior notice, ceased to exist the first week of April, 2008.

While moving my blog to this new provider causes a minor inconvenience to me, it is a major disruption for my many faithful readers who have had no notice that the blog would simply disappear. I sincerely hope that many of those readers will be able to rejoin me at this new site. Any assistance in distributing this new location would be appreciated.

For those who might be interested, some of my old blog comments can be found in caches by doing a Yahoo search for “On The Wings Of Eagles Threeoaks”.

For continuity, I am starting by reposting the last few comments from the previous site here.

To new readers, and old readers who find me again, I thank you for your time taken to be with me.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Wannabes Commercialize Their “Ceremonial Grounds”

Originally Posted 8 March, 2008

“Lost Cherokee Headman” Doug Cotter is conducting Arkansas Concealed Carry (handgun) Permit training for $40 per person at the organization’s “ceremonial grounds” in Dover, Arkansas. This is one of the factions that has split from the original “Lost Cherokee” in the past couple of years, after a disagreement between Cliff Bishop and Doug Maxwell. If you recall from previous comments, the original “Lost Cherokee” was the group that was involved in spurious Office of Indian Education grants and numerous Arkansas School Districts. The Office of Indian Education continues to give grants nationwide to schools without Indian students, a massive misuse of Indian directed funds.

While the validity of any “ceremonial ground” established by a wannabe “tribe” should be brought into question, the “Lost Cherokee’s” claim of a ceremonial ground and subsequent use of the site for such an activity is a degradation of real ceremonial grounds. This goes to show how far these wannabe “tribes” can go in maligning Indian traditions. Ceremonial grounds are for religious purposes, and the “Lost Cherokee’s” use of their so-called “ceremonial grounds” makes a laughing stock of real ceremonial grounds everywhere.Concealed Carry Permit training on such grounds are not in keeping with the purpose of those grounds any more than holding bingo games would be. .As with other non-religious activities, it does not belong there. I find it unimaginable that Cotter could not have located another place in Dover to conduct his activities. Even if the “Lost Cherokee” grounds are a pale wannabe imitation of a ceremonial ground - which I suggest it is - conducting this non-religious activity on the grounds is an insult to legitimate American Indians who value their traditions.

At the same time that many Tribes are trying to protect their traditional ceremonial grounds, the “Lost Cherokee” conveys a false impression to the public that ceremonial grounds are unimportant pieces of real estate that have no special meaning and can be commercialized at will.

Lastly, although I support the right of individuals to carry a weapon for protection, I question why a wannabe group would host such training. I suppose that now we will have fully armed wannabe “Cherokees” running around the streets and hills of Arkansas.